3.2 Industrial systems

Primary industry: an industry, such as farming, fishing, forestry and mining, that extracts raw materials directly from the land or sea.

Secondary industry: an industry that processes or manufactures primary raw materials (such as steelmaking) assembles parts made by other industries (such as cars) or is part of the construction industry.

Tertiary industry: an occupation, such as health, education, transport and retailing, which provides a service to people

 

Employment structure (how the workforce is divided up between employment sectors)  of an MEDC e.g. UK

·      Low proportion of people working in primary industry.

§ Mechanisations of jobs in the primary sector.

§ Also, as primary resources have become exhausted (e.g. coal)

§ A lot of resources are now imported.

·      The number of people employed in the secondary sector is falling.

§ Mechanisation - as machines are taking over jobs in factories.

·      The tertiary sector is the main growth area.

§ Most people work in hospitals, schools, offices and financial services.

§ Greater demand for leisure services as people have more free time and become wealthier.

§ More jobs become available in the tertiary sector.

Employment structure of an LEDC e.g. Ghana

• The majority of people work in the primary sector.

§ This is due to the lack of machinery available in farming, forestry and mining.

§ Farming is very important because people often grow the food they eat.

• Few people work in secondary industries due to the lack of factories –

§ machinery is too expensive

§ Multi-national companies rely on the raw materials available in Ghana to assist in manufacturing products

• Tertiary sector can be larger than secondary sector.

§ Most informal work is in the tertiary sector

§ Growth of jobs in tourism

Employment structure of a NIC e.g. Brazil

Brazil is a NIC or Newly Industrialized Country. While it is developing its economic base there are still a large number of people employed in primary industries such as farming. There are a large proportion of people employed in tertiary industries. One reason for this is because of the growth of Brazil as a tourist destination. Also, there have been significant improvements in the provision of health care, education and transport.

The industrial system has 3 parts: inputs, processes and outputs

Inputs include: physical (natural) which are the resources such as coal and iron ore, or human/economic (artificial) such as labour and costs.

Processes include: turning raw materials into usable things such as steelmaking and also turning the usable things into other things for example assembling cars.

Outputs include: profit or loss + waste materials e.g. slag + products for sale

Locating an industry:

Physical factors:

-power/energy: the industry should be near the raw materials or a port/station where the materials come from

-natural routes: river valleys and flat land is good for transport

-site and land: flat land & enough space might be needed, cheap land

Human and economic factors:

-labour: quantity (industry might need many people) and/or quality (very-skilled workers, close to a university)

-capital (money)

-markets: size and location of market

-transport: cost increases when items are bulky (steel), fragile (glassware) , heavy (steel) or perishable (fruit/veg.)

-government policies

-improved technology: e.g. people who reply to phone calls as a job (noobs)

-leisure facilities: countryside views / amenities

High-tech industries are footloose as they do not need to be near raw materials so are located:

-in a pleasant working environment near to large markets and major transport routes

Or

-especially in the case of foreign companies, been tempted by government policies to locate in former industrial areas which often had higher levels of unemployment